Surface ice on ponds, lakes, streams and swimming pools presents an obvious problem for firemen under emergency conditions and without a convenient fire hydrant. It is a conventional practice to chop a hole through the ice of substantial size and to thereafter throw a floating suction head and strainer device onto the surface of the exposed water. The floating suction head and strainer device may for example be of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,374 issued to Michael P. Ziaylek et al and entitled Floating Intake Head for Water Hoses.
As will be apparent, significant time may be expended in chopping a hole of substantial size especially when the ice is of significant thickness.
It is the general object of the present invention to provide a suction head and strainer assembly which can be inserted through a relatively small opening in surface ice and which is of desirably simple construction and yet highly efficient in operation.